Doubts
by LinaStar
Summary: Zuko has proposed to Katara but their wedding has been put on hold while Zuko tries to sort out the aftermath of the war. It has been nearly a year since Katara has seen her love and she is beginning to doubt she will ever see him again.


**AN: This is my first Avatar fic and it's a oneshot so any reviews are appreciated. I was going stir crazy because my laptop died and I had to write something but my ongoing Fruits Basket fic was on my laptop. My apologies to any of my readers that are waiting for the next chapter of that. It's coming I promise. Without further ado I give you…**

Doubts

Could love really transcend time?

Katara was beginning to wonder as she stirred the small cooking fire under the tea kettle. The small flames crackled as the bright embers dusted with a fine layer of ash were uncovered. It had been nearly a year since their parting in the Fire Nation capital, and she was growing impatient. It was not the Katara had stopped loving her fiancée. She could hardly forget him. They wrote to each other nearly every week; not to mention that she was always under his constant watch. As the Southern Water Tribe had begun to expand and thrive once again with trade from the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation, Katara, as the daughter of Chief and war hero Hakoda, was now a princess in her own right as well as being a water bending master. Of course as the reconstruction of the once decayed city was ongoing and every master bender available was needed, Katara did not enjoy the easy lifestyle of her fellow noblewomen. Katara did not seem to mind as it kept her mind off other matters, but it was difficult being followed around by her father's _and _her fiancée's guards while she worked.

She grimaced slightly as she heard Jian, the bodyguard sent by her husband-to-be, shift position outside her door. Katara's hand found her moonstone engagement necklace and traced the pattern in the stone. The symbol for love and the symbol for eternity were etched in silver in the center of the medallion, each symbol circled in faint gold, the circles interlocking in the middle. On the back was her name and the name of her betrothed, between which was the family crest of the royal house of Agni. Katara sighed softly. She missed him dearly and yet she could feel the push of the distance between them. It scared her, more than she would ever tell her family or her lover. She feared that when she beheld him again he would be a changed man. Perhaps his tastes would have changed or his demeanor… What if he was not the man she fell in love with when she saw him again? Would she still go with him to the palace by the sea? Would she be able to marry this new man and bear his children? Or would their love remain unchanged?

She still remembered their last meeting. He was nervous about his new position in a state unsettled by violence and tyranny. Of course he had his advisors and his allies to help him secure his title, but he had been afraid. She had seen it in his eyes. His golden eyes were always crafty, clever, fierce, but rarely had she ever seen those eyes replaced by the fear she had seen that night. "Katara," he had told her as they stood on the balcony of his personal suite overlooking a moonlit garden, "I love you. One day you will be my wife, but right now this country is torn and as the new Fire Lord I must do what I can to bring peace to the nation. Understand, I do not wish to send you away… that is the last thing I could ever want… but until this nation is ready to welcome peace, I would fear for your safety every waking moment if you were to remain here." He had promised her then that as soon as the nation became stable once more he would send for her and make her the happiest bride the world had ever seen. That was ten months past and Katara was beginning to worry. Each of his letters were becoming more hopeful. The capitol sounded much improved from the war torn city she remembered. But if all was well why had her love not come for her yet?

A knock on the door stirred Katara from her reverie at last. "Enter," she commanded, standing up and absent-mindedly straightening her dress. A tall boy of about eighteen strolled into the room. "Sokka!" she said in delight, a bit surprised to see her elder brother. She rushed into his embrace. "I didn't think you would be back so soon!"

"Yeah well it kinda goes with this whole 'prince' business." Sokka sighed a bit in frustration. "I keep telling Suki she should come live with us here and retire from the Kyoshi. Heck I even told her she could start her own Kyoshi group here, but I don't think she wants to leave."

The kettle on the fire whistled and Katara bade her brother to sit and have some tea with her. As she poured cups for both of them, Katara pondered her brother's dilemma. As the firstborn male heir of Chief Hakoda, Sokka's responsibility had always been and always would be to the tribe. Now that he was a man, he could not afford these long absences if he wished to take over when their father could no longer rule. Of course at this moment in time Hakoda was perfectly healthy and Tui willing would live a long and happy life. Yet of late Sokka was constantly being reminded of his position and his duties to the tribe.

That being said, Sokka's girlfriend of near two years and commander of the Kyoshi warriors was also having trouble avoiding her duties to her people. The Kyoshi had always been Suki's life and as a young strong commander, she was having difficulty deciding between her career and her love for Sokka. It was a taxing relationship for both as neither one could persuade the other to their cause. Katara was grateful that she could remain a water bending master and be married without such difficulties, but still her brother's worries intensified her own unease. Will our relationship last or will our destinies prove to be on separate paths as Sokka's and Suki's are?

"How is she?" Katara asked tentatively as her brother stared darkly at his tea. His expression immediately softened as he detected the concern in his sister's voice.

"She's doing pretty well. Of course the warriors have had their hands full trying to keep the peace in the Earth Kingdom. Even though the war is over, a lot of people are having a hard time accepting that the Fire Nation is just going to lower their arms and walk away. It makes trade between the nations difficult and I've heard tell that the negotiations over land settlements has gotten pretty bad. The Fire Nation conquered so much territory and now they have to work out who gets to keep it. Suki was on her way to a peace summit when I headed home."

"Any news of our other friends?" Katara inquired, carefully sorting the information her brother gave her to deal with later.

"No one's seen Aang recently," Sokka replied casually. "Probably off searching the world for the true meaning of life or whatever other weird things Avatars do these days. Toph is at the Earth king's court last I heard and she was making quite a name for herself. " Sokka made a face. "It's kind of funny picturing her doing anything… diplomatic. She hates all those parties and hoity-toity Court functions." Katara stifled a giggle as she pictured Toph trying to maintain polite conversation with a noblewoman.

"You know, it's incredible how much we've all changed since then. So much has happened to us since Aang came. We used to hate the Fire Nation and now I'm going to marry the Fire Lord! You used to be an obnoxious teenage boy, and you still are, but you're getting better. Heck you might even make a decent chief yet."

"Hey!"

"Well you've definitely become more worldly," Katara continued, ignoring her brother. "Aang has grown up, he was a carefree little kid and now he's learned all the elements and become the most powerful being on the planet. Even Toph has mellowed out since we first met her. She's not the bratty little snob she used to be."

"You haven't said anything about Zuko I notice?" Sokka said, leaning back and stretching his arms. "You're not getting cold feet are you?"

"No!" she shot back rather defensively. Her brother raised an eyebrow. Then he said, "Oh I get it. You don't want to talk about him because you don't want to get your hopes up. " He waited a moment to gage her reaction before continuing. "Look, I'm your big brother and I know I'm the last person that wants to be talking about the man you're going to marry, especially since I really used to hate the guy. It didn't help that he proposed to you…" Sokka flexed his fingers along the edge of his holstered boomerang. "But, you really don't need to worry about him. If you think about it, he's the one who made the most drastic changes of all of us. I mean one day he's chasing us all across the four nations and shooting fireballs of death at us and the next he's the peaceful Prince of the Fire Nation asking you to be his Fire Lady. I mean, you've seen him at both extremes, and you still said yes to him. He's seen you at both extremes and he still wanted to marry you. I'd say your relationship is a strong one because neither one of you have held anything back. You know everything about each other and still like each other, which is beyond me 'cuz I don't even know _why _you like each other."

Katara was silent for a moment and then said, "Sokka what if he doesn't come back? What if he comes back and he's a completely different person? What if…" but Sokka cut her off. "Some big brotherly advice for you sis. First of all, you don't have to worry about him not coming back. Because if he doesn't come back I will go to the Fire Nation and drag him over here. But you probably wouldn't want him when I was done with him. Second, yes people change, but that's the fun part of relationships right? You've changed since we were little. You've changed since last month. That doesn't mean it's a bad thing. I still like you at least. Except when you make comments about my being an obnoxious teenager, then not so much." Katara laughed.

"All right big brother, I admit it, you _have _grown up a lot."

"I have, haven't I?" he said, rubbing his chin in a manner he must have assumed was an impressive one.

Katara just shook her head. Secretly she hoped Sokka was right and love was more than just the here and now. Maybe love really could transcend time. There was a knock on the door once more and Katara called for the visitor to enter. Jian peeked his head around the corner. "Pardon the intrusion Lady Katara, Lord Sokka. But your father has sent word for you to meet him in the Great Hall." The siblings looked at each other for a moment before Sokka shrugged and Katara grabbed her brush off of the dresser and ran it through her wavy tresses. Then the two of them left Katara's room and headed down the staircase.

Hakoda was waiting in the hall with a smile as his children entered. They were adults now and Hakoda often missed the days when they would run and tackle him instead of stopping before him and bowing respectfully. "Katara," Hakoda said to her softly, "this just arrived for you." He extended a letter to her which she took eagerly, noticing the seal on the back. Sokka glanced inquiringly at his father who merely shook his head and grinned, his eyes flickering to the back of the room behind Katara. Sokka turned and grinned. Katara had just opened the letter and was staring at it confused. All it said was "_Turn around._" She looked up at her father as thought there must be some mistake and saw he was grinning like a wolf. She looked puzzled but then turned slowly around.

There about ten paces behind her was the man she was going to marry, the Fire Lord Zuko with a grin as wide as her father's on his face. "Zuko!" she shouted before dashing, very unladylike, into his arms. "Oh I've missed you so much!" she said into his robes as he held her tightly.

"And I you, my little water bender," he told her soothingly. "I know it has been too long. What do you say? Do you still wish to come to the Fire Nation with me? Will you still be my bride even though I've been away so long?"

Katara realized then that even though she had doubted and worried about this very same question for endless months she did not have to think about it for a heartbeat as she answered. "Yes, Zuko. I want to be yours always, no matter how long we are apart."

"Then I will make you the happiest bride the world has ever seen just as I promised."

Katara nodded, her face glowing with happiness and all her fears melted away. Zuko had come for her at last.

END

**I am rather fond of the Zutara pairing because it always made more sense to me (no offense to other shippers). I was kinda bummed out that Zutara never became canon. But it is in my mind and that's what counts I suppose… This story came from the fact that my boyfriend and I are going to be in a long distance relationship next year as he is going to be studying abroad in Germany next year for 14 months and I will only be able to see him maybe twice in that time period as I will be studying first at home in Michigan and then in Spain. It's going to be really hard and I'm a little scared that the distance will damage our relationship. So I transferred my concerns to Katara's character. Hope you enjoyed the story! Please leave me nice reviews!**


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